Trinity Of Heroes
by Velvet Nights and Satin Skies
Summary: (Set in OoT) From three different upbringings and backgrounds, three young children are unwittingly brought together to save Hyrule. Link, a Kokiri misfit with no fairy. Tor, an orphan living with her grandfather by Lake Hylia. And Xander, struggling to break the curse which holds his family in spider form. The Triforce has returned to Hyrule. Sheik/OC Malon/OC Link/Zelda
1. Chapter 1

**To My Loyal Readers:**

_As I'm sure most of you realize, I have not updated any of my other stories in many months. There's a very good reason for this, but I'm not going to go into it over the internet. Suffice to say that I have been in and out of hospitals for a good while, and this is the first time I have felt healthy enough to clatter the recess once called my brain and see what comes up. _

_I know you're all waiting for me to update my Lord of the Rings stories or even my less-than-stellar Harry Potter stories, but this is what I have to offer you in lieu of my other stories.__Frankly, I don't think I can pursue fluffy elf romances or awkward marriage law fictions at the moment. I am in an extremely angsty and uncharitable mood, while at the same time feeling quite thankful for my life, my health, and my absolutely incredible family who has stood by me all this time._

_But I do owe you all an apology, because I will not - at this time - be continuing any of my ongoing stories. I will not delete them, because I do optomistically hope to return to them at a later date, when my mindset is less doom'n'gloom and more Amy/Legolas. Thank you so much for all of you who have sent me hopeful messages inquiring to my health and safety - you know who you are, even if I haven't had time to respond to all of you, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. _

_So I can only offer you this: I make a quick disclaimer now, having never played Ocarina of Time. But my husband has run through the game on at least a dozen different times, and the whole family has watched him. The idea for this story has been with me since an englightening conversation with an online friend of mine, who attempted to write the story but gave up after due to the skewing of canon which needs to commence in order for this story to take place._

_ The first chapter is quite a monstrosity, and since I haven't stretched my writing muscles in a while I feel very rusty. It seemed the more I edited this chapter, the worse it became, so I decided to quickly publish it before it got any worse. I hope you all enjoy this first chapter of_ **Trinity of Heroes**.


	2. Chapter 2

Kokiri Village was just beginning to awaken.

Tucked away in the sprawling vastness of Kokiri Forest was a small village, quite hidden away from the rest of the troubled world. A spacious meadow was surrounded by tall, solemn trees which created a sturdy boundary around the random scattering of small houses. Buttercups and periwinkles poked shyly through the carpet of rich green grass, spreading their colorful ruffles amid patches of sunlight. A small waterfall trickled into a still pool, and a stream flowed steadily away from its origin to divide the meadow roughly in half. The rising sun hit the water strikingly, turning it into a liquid stripe of dazzling gold for a heartbeat. Ferns dipped leafy strands into the dappled brook, bowing and swaying with the warm breeze which dallied momentarily amid the cheerful houses of the immortal Kokiri. Small houses were grouped in no kind of order, and there was even a tall treehouse at one corner of the village. Children played together in the stream or in the dirt, making up games and forgetting the rules in moments, telling stories which would only be forgotten, and laughing at jokes which never seemed to end.

Zipping through the warm morning breeze, a globe of light shot beneath a trailing vine of moss and nearly rammed into the tiny back of a blonde girl with pigtails. The fairy – for indeed that's what she was – shouted out an abrupt greeting to the Kokiri child as she blinked hard and tried to focus on her mission. A tall lattice gate loomed suddenly in front of her, and the fairy whacked her head on one of the framework sides. She whimpered a little and gave her glossy wings a quick groom to ensure they were undamaged, although she couldn't help but smooth down her ice-white spikes of hair as she did so. Navi checked her reflection briefly in a dewdrop, ensuring that the pretty blue leaf she had spun into a dress was still intact, and then had to shake herself away from her vanity and remember her mission. To humans, the young fairy appeared as nothing more than a ball of blue light with two butterfly wings fluttering and straining, but fairies could see that Navi was trying her very best to go quickly. Unfortunately, speed had never been a quality which Navi possessed, and it took her a good deal of time to locate the correct house and marshal her wings into a window.

She curled her dainty upper lip marginally when she spotted the room; the shutters were closed, giving the room a dim, gloomy feeling, and she could see the scattered remains of broken toys all over the place. Evidently the Hero of Hyrule had better things to do than put away his toys. Navi made a face as she pushed open one of the shutters with a good deal of difficulty, casting a dusty beam of light through the shadows. She finally spotted the boy she was supposed to be looking for – Link, the outcast of the Kokiri children, the fledgling Hero of Time. Navi had no way to judge human attractiveness, but there were few things more sweet than the image of a sleeping child. Two bolts of golden hair were hanging in a plump, cherubic face and his blond lashes were curled sweetly against his flushed cheeks, small mouth parted slightly in his deep slumber. One boot had been carelessly kicked beneath the bed, and the other remained half-tied on his foot; apparently Link had toppled into bed without bothering to fully prepare himself.

Navi set her pointed teeth and dive bombed Link's bed. _Wake up!_ She commanded in her tinkling voice. _Wake up, Link! The Great Deku Tree wishes to see you!_

Confident that would wake him – the Great Deku Tree _was _the guardian of the entire forest, after all – Navi rocked back in midair and was appalled to discover that Link merely rolled over and resumed sleep. Navi tackled him, grabbing one pointed ear and tugging hard. _Wake up! Who would have thought the Guardian of Hyrule would be such a lazy boy?_ She wondered aloud, and jumped on his ribcage. _Wake up, I say! The Great Deku Tree wants to meet with you!_

Link fell out of bed and hit the floor with an inelegant thud. A pair of startling cerulean eyes blinked sleepily up at the blue fairy, but he started when he realized what she was. "Hey," He murmured groggily, rubbing his eyes and trying to ascertain himself to his surroundings. "Are you...a fairy?" He asked, wiggling a finger in his ear. Link felt a little more awake now, and he sat on the edge of his bed, swinging his feet a little.

_Yes, I am a fairy. My name is Navi, and I am here to guide you to the Great Deku Tree! Hurry up, he needs to speak with you!_ Navi shouted, and let her wings drop for a moment so she could rest.

Something started to sink in. There was a fairy sitting in his room, telling him that the Great Deku Tree wanted to see him. Link fumbled beneath his bed for his boot, tugging it on haphazardly as he tried to make sense of it all in his mind. All of the Kokiri were children, and a fairy was given to them on the same day of their birth. But for some reason unknown to him, Link hadn't received a fairy on his birthday, or any birthday since. The only time a fairy had come to him directly was when they had a message from another Kokiri child, since they avoided him when possible. Link tugged on a small green cap and tied it under his chin, shaking his curtain of beautiful blonde hair away from his face. And the Great Deku Tree! Not many people got to see the Sage of the Forest, and if they did, it was on some important mission.

Suddenly, Link was voracious to know why the Great Deku Tree wanted to see him. He snatched his belt and looped it around his narrow waist, buckling it over his soft green tunic, dashing towards the door. "Navi, come on!" He shouted, and skipped the ladder as usual. Landing in a small dust cloud on the path, he heard an out-of-breath Navi complaining behind him, and was about to turn around and apologize when a familiar head of green hair caught his eye.

Saria was standing on the path to his house, smiling gently at him. She was his one and only friend, the only Kokiri who didn't tease him about not having a fairy, and the only person who claimed she liked being around him. Link was grateful for her friendship – Saria was rather like a mother to everyone in the village, and nobody ever had a bad word to say about her. The two of often played together, catching butterflies or wondering what the world was like in a vague, innocent way. Saria was a beautiful girl, with thick green hair tamed only by a dark headband, and a big smile which always made dimples appear in her cheeks. Now, however, she was smiling larger than ever, and her green eyes were wide and delighted. "Link!" She exclaimed, "Is that a fairy? You finally have a fairy!"

Link smiled shyly at Saria, wildly happy with his good luck and intoxicated with foolish giddiness. "She's not really mine," He grinned. "Her name's Navi."

Navi bobbed a hurried curtsey. _Very nice_, she panted irritably, _Now may I please escort him to the Great Deku Tree? He has a very important meeting, you know!_

"You have a meeting with the Great Deku Tree?" Saria asked with astonishment. "Link...That's, that's wonderful! I'll wait for you until you get back, okay?"

Link was just about to agree and follow the overworked Navi towards the Deku Grove, when Saria seized his arm. There was something strange in her eyes, and her usual big grin was gone as she peered worriedly into Link's face. "Be careful," She whispered. "There's something strange going on. The forest is terrible today." Her eyes were round and serious. Saria was one of the only Kokiri children who dared venture into the Lost Woods, probing the impossible labyrinth of twisted pathways and dangerous roads. Indeed, she was the only person who went there regularly, enjoying herself as she found different sunlit clearings and shady nooks. Link swallowed hard, his good mood vanishing slowly.

"I will," He answered, backing up towards Navi. "I'll be careful."

"Make sure you're properly equipped!" Saria called after him, but she wasn't sure he heard her. She bit her lip worriedly, and sat down on a stump to wait. Link would be all right.

Wouldn't he?

* * *

Lake Hylia was glorious in the morning.

The water was crystal clear and bracingly cold, with a stiff wind coaxing a few frothy white caps to break over the waves. The sun proudly staked out her place in the heavens and cast syrupy beams of glazed sunlight onto the huge lake, giving it an unearthly glow. A sandy strip of beach was pebbled with rocks and broken at intervals with white driftwood, and there was a small upturned punt set firmly against two rocks. Farther up the hill, a thin coating of grass gradually reclaimed its territory, thickening steadily towards the mouth of the canyon which marked the entrance of Lake Hylia. A squat, crooked building jutted awkwardly towards the lake, lopsided with towers and missing shingles on the roof but still fundamentally sturdy. Birds twittered overhead, wheeling and calling to one another as they danced and played in the air currents. There were islets dotting the surface of Lake Hylia, most of them connected by swaying rope bridges, but others still lying wild and unbroken.

Beneath the glaring sunlight, a brown girl slammed the door of the laboratory shut, racing towards the waterline with a warlike whoop. A tangled frizz of orange hair flew out behind her as she pounced on the repaired punt and turned it expertly over, tiny hands smoothing over the weathered silver wood. She grinned and began dragging the large boat towards the water, her tough feet long since calloused to the uneven pebbles of the shoreline. As children go, she was not often noticed to be female; her skin was a burnt tan from long hours playing out in the sun, and her body was wiry and built of sharp angles and rough edges. Her hair was collar length, chopped unevenly to this length for conveniences sake, because swimming with a head full of hair wasn't an easy thing to do. It was a truly horrid shade of carrot, although she didn't mind yet. The girl plunged into the water, pushing the boat ahead of her and eyeing the bottom of it warily, checking for leaks. When no water beaded on the bottom, she toppled inside, bringing with her splatters of water and a constant drip of wet clothing.

She grabbed her oars and pulled strongly on them, trying to find her rhythm and succeeding within moments. Years of practice pulled her effortlessly away from the shoreline, and she rowed for a few yards before pausing and ensuring she had everything she needed. There was a spare dry tunic in her bag, along with her fishing bait and tackle, and her trusted fishing rod. Bottles clinked together as she rummaged through the bag, and she remembered belatedly that she needed to collect samples for her grandfather's work. Tor tossed the bag back on the bottom of the boat and scanned the water hopefully, looking for the flash of white which would alert her to the presence of her friend.

When nothing showed, Tor sighed and baited a hook, flicking it out over the waves and hoping some unsuspecting fish would see the worm. Just as she was about to begin reeling slowly, she saw a V shaped ripple pushing towards her, and the ten year old grinned widely, pushing her orange hair away from her forehead. "Leca?" She called out in a sing-song tone. "Is that you? Are we playing a game?"

It was rare for a Zora to be such close friends with a human, but their friendship was one centered around the water. Leca had come upon her playing in the shallows when she was a toddler, and the girl had immediately fastened herself onto the regal Zora as a close friend. It was rare to find someone with such obvious and unashamed affection for another person – Zora's were a very prideful and inverted race – which did pique his interest. Tor had never lost interest in the Zoras, and Leca had decided it was his destiny to teach this human the ways of the water. They met frequently, and Leca taught the girl how to swim and dive deeply, how to keep her eyes open underwater, and shown her how the Zora's weave a special fabric which gave oxygen to the wearer. Tor kept a handkerchief-sized remnant in her pocket at all times, and when she wanted to dive especially deep she clenched it between her teeth.

He breached the water, and just like every time she saw him, Tor was struck by his beauty. Like all Zoras, he was sleek and lithe, his scales a mirrored silver color so as to appear white or the color of the water around him. He had given her one of his scales, and the young child had threaded it onto a leather thong and slipped it onto her neck, where it remained to this day. He was taller than a man, but far slimmer and more elegant, with wide trailing fins down his back and elbows. His face was long and pointed, with huge liquid black eyes which seemed to grow larger when he was excited, and gills rippling along his ribcage. Leca glided flexibly through the water, approaching the small human child, and treaded water lightly next to her boat. His iridescent scales were a stream of molten silver beneath the sunlight dappled surface, and one webbed hand groped out to touch the boat as was his habit. However, instead of a playful, watery laugh to greet her, there was a solemn frown on his hauntingly beautiful features. "No game, Tor," He said in his quavering voice which always reminded her of waves lapping on a shore. "I have an urgent question. Have you seen any other Zoras in this area?"

Tor frowned, and then nodded. "One or two. They usually stay near the shore and play games. They always disappear when I try to talk to them, though," She added wryly, twisting her mouth to the side in disappointment. "Why? What happened?"

Leca blinked his eyes slowly and then sighed. "Our princess has gone missing. Princess Ruto. We don't know where she has disappeared to, and our king is distraught. We don't know whether she has been taken alive or..." He broke off, looking away. "We fear the worst, but do hope for the best," He said softly. "Have you seen her? A young female, not even half grown. She would not be interested in talking to you, our princess is rather haughty."

Tor was shaking her head even before he finished. "No, I'd remember a small one," She said sympathetically. "I'm so sorry, Leca, that's awful! Will she be okay, do you think?"

The look on Leca's face was not hopeful, but his voice had a modicum of cheerfulness in it. "Most likely she was went exploring down the river and was swept into a stronger current," Leca said after a moment. "At least, that is what I hope." He shook his long head slowly, and backstroked away from the boat. "Tor, if you see Ruto, would you come to me?" He asked. "I'll be leading a search party in the Zora River, but if you see anything, don't hesitate to enter our Domain."

A thrill ran through Tor, and an electric spark lit her big brown eyes. "You mean it?" She asked, and grinned widely, hoping Ruto would pop up the moment Leca left so she would have an excuse to visit the legendary Zora's Domain.

"This is not a standing invitation," Leca warned her. "Only come if you have news of our Princess. My people do not take kindly to strangers." He flipped his elegant webbed feet and disappeared into the waves, his sleek silver body disappearing within moments. Tor wasn't paying the slightest bit of attention – Zora's Domain! What a find! Even to be able to stay there for an hour or so would be an immeasurable treat. Leca had often spoke of the gorgeous beauty of his home, and he had inadvertently created a deep ache within Tor to see the place. He had warned her on multiple occasions not to follow him, but Tor had anyway; there was a square opening set into the jagged shores of Lake Hylia, obviously where all the Zoras disappeared into. Still, she had never plucked up the courage to dive down and investigate.

She reeled in her line, having quite lost her appetite for fishing, and began to row back to shore. Tor had a few ideas she wanted to put in action – the Gerudo River fed into Lake Hylia, and there was a chance Ruto had been completely swept away and ended up there. She might even be badly hurt! Tor's grandfather, Professor Habbleton, had several yards of netting which might be useful in finding a young Zora. Why, Ruto couldn't be much older than herself, she would be absolutely terrified, and quite grateful that Tor had rescued her in the first place! She could go to Zora's Domain as a triumphant hero! She might even be welcomed back continuously, and wouldn't _that_ be a dream come true?

The young girl was so tangled in her daydreams that she almost missed the glitter at the bottom of the pond.

Too many times she had chased sunbeams to the bottom of Lake Hylia only to have the elusive sparkle melt away into gritty sand, so Tor rowed past it as first. But when the gleam appeared again, this time from a different angle, Tor knew there was something down there. Possibly, it was just a shiny rock, but Tor had a box full of interesting flotsam and jetsam she had pulled out of the big lake, and was constantly on the lookout for more. So she pulled her scrap of Zora fabric out of her pocket, clenched it between her teeth, and slipped out of her boat with complete ease.

The shock from warm air to cold water always buzzed her skin and made her feel completely, brilliantly alive all at once. She stroked hard towards the bottom, wishing - not for the first time – that she had those iron-lined boots Leca occasionally mentioned. It would make things so much quicker. Tor stabbed her small fingers towards the gleam, and a hard slippery surface hit her blunt fingers. She snatched whatever the glittery thing was, and kicked hard towards the beckoning surface. The light grew sharply in intensity until she had broken through the water and tossed the item into the bottom of her boat, ripping the scrap of cloth out of her teeth and gasping for breath. The cloth did ensure her lungs didn't give out on her, but the drizzled oxygen was never quite enough for her. She rolled into her boat and examined her treasure, panting.

A bottle lay in her hands, slick with water and catching the lights in all sorts of directions. It was finely cut, with a cork stuffed firmly in the neck of the bottle to keep its contents dry. And the contents appeared to be a tightly rolled piece of paper. Tor plucked the cork from its hold with some difficulty, seeing as her hands were still wet and the cork was tightly jammed into its crevice, but finally she managed to spill the piece of paper into her lap. Written in tight curls was the hastily scribbled note:

_Trapped in Jabu-Jabu's belly! Get me out of here! – Princess Ruto_

Tor reread it twice, then stuffed the note back into the bottle, delight rearing in her chest. She swung her curtain of wet hair out of her eyes and tucked the bottle into her pocket, creating a ridiculous bulge. It would only be for a moment. The athletic girl rowed her boat eagerly to the shore, dragging it up onto the rough shore, and flipped it over. Grandfather wouldn't mind if she disappeared for a moment, giving the bottle to Leca would only take a moment. She _did _want to examine Zora's Domain a little, though. If she was quick, she decided she could manage it.

She pressed Leca's scale against her throat, and darted back into the waves.

* * *

Kakariko Village was not a sleepy little town.

The place bustled and thrummed with activity, and all around him noise pressed against his ears with an almost physical presence. The rasp of saws, irregular thud of hammers, shouting and cursing of construction workers, and the ever-present babble of cuccoos was enough to drive anyone crazy. Several people dithered about, talking to one another beneath the big shady oak tree which was the first thing anyone saw when they entered the village. Kakariko Village was a new settlement, but new buildings were constantly going up and the general consensus was once one more building went up, they would be a real town. Almost five buildings later, they decided that a Bazaar needed to be established as well as an tavern and an archery range. Everyone appeared to be used to the constant noise – everyone except the young, dark haired boy who was capturing cuccos.

He was very still, his stiff black hair standing in short spikes, brilliant green eyes probing the shadows behind the potion shop. For a young boy, he was surprisingly tall and his face lacked the usual baby fat children his age usually had. He knew there was a cucco here, he could sense the movement. The small birds which resembled chickens were constantly getting loose, and the friendly – but rather bizarre – lady who kept them always gave him a few rupees for catching them for her. There was a dark rustle in a corner, and Xander pounced with sharp reflexes. The white bird crowed and struggled wildly, but the tall boy had seized the chicken by both feet and wasn't about to let go.

The boy threaded his way through the bustle of the village, avoiding people with practiced ease, and discovered the redheaded cuckoo lady standing worriedly by her cucco pen. "Ma'am," He called out politely, and set the bird down in the pen. It flapped indignantly at being grabbed in such a rough manner, but Xander ignored it and turned instead to its owner. "I found them all, ma'am, this one had gone behind the shops over there," He said with a helpful point. Perhaps if she knew the trouble he had gone through to locate her stupid birds, then she'd add a few rupees to his tip. She smiled distractedly at him and pressed a red rupee into his palm.

"Oh, yes, thank you so much," She said absently. "Do you know where my brother has gone? I can't find him anywhere."

Xander kept his face neutral and polite as he took a few steps away from the lady. "No, ma'am, I don't think so," He answered, and then nodded quickly at her. "It's getting late, I ought to get going." Without another word, Xander hurried away from the little pen and through the throng of people, darting towards the seldom used path which led to the graveyard. Kakariko Village boasted a large graveyard, and it was filled due to the sweeping plague which had left Hyrule crumbling only a few years earlier. The sickness had come so suddenly and abruptly that there were rumors tossing about that someone had deliberately sickened the land; it would not have surprised Xander. He had seen far too much for a ten year old. As it was, the whole country was in turmoil due to the King considering an alliance with the Gerudo, a race of desert thieves who robbed any who crossed their path. Xander couldn't have cared less – taxes and alliances had ceased to bother his family.

The graveyard was eerily empty as always, and even the gravedigger Dampé was missing. The only noise was a gentle breeze whistling around the tombstones and the whispered tapping of that weird little kid who idolized Dampé. Xander regarded the little boy distastefully; a result of the plague, he twisted one leg behind him as he walked but had a cherubic face. He always muttered and played among the gravestones, occasionally clearing away weeds respectfully, but usually just shuffling up and down pretending to be Dampé. Xander avoided him neatly and instead headed towards the left hand corner of the graveyard where a soft patch of soil lay. There was a small dark hole trickling into the ground, and yesterday Xander had stabbed a stick into the tunnel and been rewarded with a distinctive scritching noise.

He carefully withdrew his prize – three small blue bugs trapped in a glass bottle. Thick brows drawn together in concentration, he tapped the jar until the bugs awoke and began rattling around agitatedly. The boy tugged the cork out of the neck and dumped the bugs into the hole, and then stood back, heart hammering his ribcage. One moment. Then two.

The bugs were sucked down the hole with shocking rapidity, and a huge Gold Skulltula crawled out of the hole, spiky legs twitching eagerly. A thick gold plate covered the body of the Skulltula, earning its name, and the rasping noise of its armored plates scraping together was nearly always an indicator of its presence. Xander shouted in alarm and aggressive jubilation, and picked up a nearby rock. He smashed it hard into the bug's wide back, cracking one of the plates and causing it to rear back and strike out at him with its two front feet. A second too slow, the front claw scratched Xander's arm roughly and raised a wide red welt instantly down his forearm. The boy hissed in pain and brought the rock down again, this time causing a splatter of green blood to stain his clothes and face. A third time the rock fell, and this time the Skulltula stopped twitching.

Breathing hard, Xander got to his feet and wiped his mouth, tasting the sour tang of Gold Skulltula blood on his lip. The wide scratch on his arm burned horribly, causing the hair on his arm to prickle, and tears rose to his eyes. He refused to let them fall, but clutched his arm tightly to suppress the pain. The young boy broke off a rough piece of the golden armor, a circular plate which protected the vulnerable spot on the nape of its neck, and tucked it into his pocket. It was a token he had a habit of collecting, and so far he had three of them. They jingled in his pocket along with the red rupee he had earned, and he liked the sound of the metal clinking together.

"Hey!"

He turned and saw the crippled boy looking up at him with wide eyes. "Wow!" The little boy shouted. "Did you kill that bug? That was awesome!"

"Yes, I did," Xander replied flatly. _Why are you asking? You saw me kill it._

"That is so cool!" The boy grinned. "I wish I could kill stuff like that! But..." His face fell and he looked down at his shriveled leg. "I can't. I can't walk right, either." How was he supposed to respond to that? Xander chose to turn around and resume walking back towards the village, unwilling to spend more time and sympathy on the odd child. "Make sure you come back!" The boy called out. "We can play together! I'll be the ghost and you can capture me!"

Xander ignored him pointedly, and shut the gate of the graveyard behind him with a decisive click. The boy could wallow in his fantasies, but he had reality to keep up with.

He pushed his way through the crowd until he reached the small, decrepit house which stood away from the rest. The windows were dirty and cracked, but the shutters were tightly latched and the door usually locked. It didn't matter, seeing as even the rambunctious boys who gallivanted through the town stayed away from the haunted house. Xander stayed away from it too, when possible. But he had to alert his father that he had killed another Skulltula, and see if there was any impact on the curse which trapped his family.

The door creaked open and the dingy light which filtered through the filthy windows was the only illumination. Dull scratching noises fluttered in the corners, and Xander felt fear and repulsion rise in his belly. The family he had once loved was now ensnared by their father's utter greed, and he was the one breaking it one Skulltula at a time. He took a few steps forward into the gloom, his bare feet causing the floorboards to groan. "Father?" He whispered. "Father, are you awake?"

"I am always awake, my son," A sibilant voice rasped. "Do you have good news?" There was a flurry of clicking and whirring, and a huge spider dropped from the rafters with alarming suddenness. Xander tried not to flinch, but he couldn't help himself. His once handsome father was transfigured into a hideous spider, once-familiar face grotesquely displayed over the spider's huge red eyes. The long legs twitched in anticipation as he eyed his youngest son with all eight of his beady crimson eyes.

Without a word, Xander revealed the third Skulltula token to his father. "I got another one," Xander told his father quietly.

"That's not enough!" His father wheezed. "You must travel...to Death Mountain, my son. Beg the Gorons to forgive me, to forgive _you_, and pray to the Goddesses that they will allow you to canvas their city for more of these...curses." Xander couldn't stop the horror crossing his fact, and his father's many eyes caught it. "It is...what you must do, my son," His father said tiredly. "I am sorry."

Xander turned away, still cradling his injured arm. Many times his father had apologized, so very many times, but he had never once thanked his youngest son for doing all this for him. It was just assumed that Xander would do all he could to free his family. Just one thank you, and Xander made himself believe that he could do this for the rest of his life. But because not one token of appreciation had come his way, he was resentful of it. The only one in his family not to be stricken with the curse, the only one not to be touched. Why? Because of that one act of selflessness which had tipped the balance in his favor? His constant atonement for his family's sins by helping everyone in the village and being constantly polite to everyone? The young boy pushed his way out of the house without saying a word. He needed to speak with the Gorons, to see if the sleepy race of burrowers could forgive his father's travesty.

All over Hyrule, the threads of destiny began to weave together as the Trio of Heroes rose to their tasks.


End file.
